A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Monthly Exam

◎Good Luck◎

Ever since the exam was announced, the class’s study atmosphere had intensified. Luo Minmin, who usually flitted about like a butterfly, now looked drained of energy, either sighing in her seat or on the way back to the dorm.

The young lady, who was slightly better off than Luo Minmin but not by much, had given up her leisurely ways since she decided to “learn from” Gu Zhu and get a good grade. Because her early foundations were weak, classes were indeed as the rumors said: “a book of nonsense the moment you drop your pen.”

Gu Zhu’s plan for her was to build her foundation, memorize formulas, and in the remaining less-than-two weeks, do practice problems, practice problems, and more practice problems, along with some test-taking strategies to quickly improve her score.

The monthly exam’s content was limited, unlike a semester or mock exam. Even if she was unlucky enough to encounter something she had previously learned or something extracurricular, it wouldn’t matter, as the score would not significantly impact Bai Tan, who was just starting out.

Gu Zhu was strict with her. The daily tasks assigned had to be completed. Bai Tan was not allowed to procrastinate or slack off, completely eliminating the young lady’s opportunities to play the victim.

At this time, Gu Zhu had a calm expression, and the pen in her hand was like a sharp sword. Whether she marked an answer with an ‘X’ or a checkmark, it made one’s heart tremble.

For the first time, Bai Tan was almost sick of doing practice problems. From the moment she opened her eyes, she was memorizing, and from the moment she closed her eyes, she was thinking about problems. Getting a good grade was just too difficult. Being a slacker was so much fun!

She cried silently in her heart. How did Gu Zhu manage to balance her own studies and competitions, and also help her prepare for exams and tutoring? And she was always so energetic. Sometimes when Bai Tan dozed off in class and saw Gu Zhu with her head down, working on problems, she would immediately wake up.

An academic ace was truly not an ordinary person.

She was deeply impressed by Gu Zhu’s brainpower. The young lady used to be proud, thinking that while she was a slacker, it was because she didn’t want to study, not because she couldn’t. After all, she had gotten good grades by being just a little serious. Plus, she had many other areas she was good at.

Now she admitted that she would probably never be able to be as sharp, focused, and determined as Gu Zhu.

After the evening study hall on Wednesday, some students left as soon as the bell rang, but a large number of people remained in the classroom to continue studying before the dorm curfew.

Bai Tan was no exception. She wrote and calculated on a practice test. From a time when she barely understood the formulas, she could now at least identify the type of problem and solve the relatively simple ones.

At 10:30 PM, she checked her watch, started packing up, said goodbye to her roommates who were also studying, and went downstairs. She ran to the door of the science building and, while waiting, recited some classical poetry.

With previous experience, she had brought mosquito repellent and sprayed it on her exposed skin.

The science building was almost empty at night, and although her voice was not loud, it still echoed in the hallway.

“…The difficulty of the Shu Road is harder than ascending the blue sky! It makes people who hear this have a withered vermilion face…”

When Gu Zhu came downstairs, she heard Bai Tan sighing as she recited The Shu Road, as if the difficulty wasn’t Li Bai’s but her own. Gu Zhu found it a little amusing. The young lady acted as if the sky was falling just from studying.

But the young lady was also very compliant. Although she always looked like “my life is over,” she never failed to complete any task Gu Zhu assigned.

Gu Zhu came down with the chemistry teacher. The science building wouldn’t usually have only her in it; this was for her own safety.

The chemistry teacher, Li Jiajia, had come to this high school right after graduation. With her excellent teaching skills, she quickly became a key faculty member and was personally guiding Gu Zhu in competitions. She also saw Bai Tan and chuckled. “Your little friend is here to wait for you again. You two have a great relationship.”

When she first met Gu Zhu, Li Jiajia was a little surprised. As her student, she naturally knew Gu Zhu’s personality: very serious about her studies and very resilient in her work, but too reclusive in her social life. She once thought that Gu Zhu and Chang Ru, who also had good chemistry grades and was good at everything, would have common ground and become friends. But they had a subtle falling out.

As a teacher, she naturally wanted to help them mend their relationship. But when she put them together, one just smiled without talking, and the other didn’t even smile. Later, she gave up. They’re just young people with their own personalities; no need to force it.

But she never expected that a transfer student who just joined in the middle of the semester would become so close to Gu Zhu in such a short time.

“Teacher Li, Bamboo!” Bai Tan heard the footsteps and immediately turned her head, smiling and greeting them. She walked over and naturally stood beside Gu Zhu. “Teacher, you must be tired today, too. Please be careful on your way home!”

Li Jiajia’s home was not far from the school, so she didn’t live in the teachers’ dorms. She looked at the sweet-talking Bai Tan, and through their interactions these past few days, she probably figured out the secret to her gaining access to Gu Zhu. She was like a little sun—beautiful, cute, and most importantly, she had a knack for saying the right things.

“Okay. Curfew is almost here, so you two should hurry back. Even though it’s exam time, it’s also necessary to relax. Get some good rest and keep your spirits up to be more efficient.”

“Mhm! Thanks for your concern, Teacher. We will. I promise I won’t doze off in chemistry class tomorrow.” She made a joke about herself and laughed. “Teacher, we’ll head back now. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye, Teacher. Thank you for your hard work today.”

After they waved goodbye to Li Jiajia, they walked side by side back to the dorms. There were only a few people left on the road. The streetlights were a warm yellow, and a few moths fluttered and bumped into them. The night, however, no longer seemed quiet but had a lively atmosphere.

“…The difficulty of the Shu Road is harder than ascending the blue sky, making people who look west sigh in despair!”

Bai Tan finally finished reciting the ballad. She let out a big sigh of relief, walked forward, turned around, and walked backward facing Gu Zhu. “I’ve almost memorized half of the classical poetry for this semester. Hurry up and praise me!”

Gu Zhu looked at her excited face. The light was enchanting. Bai Tan’s smiling eyes and mouth were full of a glistening glow. It was as if her pride and happiness were showing off through the flowing light.

“Give me a sentence that uses mythology, exaggeration, and contrast to describe the steepness of the Shu mountains,” Gu Zhu said, looking down at the steps Bai Tan had just taken, her question sounding absent-minded.

Bai Tan’s eyes were fixed on her. She took a few more steps backward, watching Gu Zhu’s toes collide with her own before she could react.

The tips of their white sneakers and green sneakers touched. Gu Zhu unconsciously squeezed her fingers, and she slowly looked up. Bai Tan was a little taller than her. Gu Zhu tilted her head slightly, and her stray hairs fell, revealing her face with glasses still on.

Why did she suddenly stop? she wanted to ask, but the sudden quiet atmosphere made her silent.

“I’m going to take off your glasses, okay?” Bai Tan asked after a moment.

Seeing that she didn’t refuse, Bai Tan carefully took off her glasses, then put her hands behind her back. Her eyes traced Gu Zhu’s eyes, which subconsciously closed and then opened. Her eyelashes were long, fanning out like a fan. The slightly upturned corners of her eyes and her deep eye sockets, along with her distinct pupils, gave her an even more distant look.

The naturally aloof Student Gu Zhu was also very cute when it came to making friends. She was a little clumsy but also very inclusive, making Bai Tan greedily want to get closer and closer, hoping to be her one and only.

She thought that sometimes her hot-tempered dad wasn’t wrong: she was willful, had a bad temper, and was possessive.

Gu Zhu’s habit of pursing her lips didn’t change. Her lips were slightly pressed, as if she didn’t understand why Bai Tan kept staring at her.

Before Gu Zhu ran out of patience, Bai Tan curled her lips into a smile and wrinkled her nose. In Gu Zhu’s puzzled gaze, her expression instantly changed to a slightly sad one. “My dear academic master, I’ve only just learned how to memorize things. Use your 5.0 vision to look at me—do I look like someone that smart?! When you quiz me again tomorrow, I promise I’ll have eaten up all the key points you’ve marked!”

Gu Zhu’s plan for her was to first memorize the sentences that were likely to be on the test to get points this time, and then, if time allowed, to gradually master the passages that needed to be memorized this semester to prepare for the final exams.

The monthly exam was just a monthly exam. It only assessed the content learned in the recent period. There were many other major and minor exams to come. By the time they reached their senior year, they would enter full-on review. At that time, the pressure would only be heavier. Relying only on guessing the questions was not a long-term solution. To truly improve, one had to rely on long-term effort and accumulation.

Bai Tan had no objection to this. In fact, she was more disciplined than Gu Zhu had imagined.

The young lady’s brain was still sharp, and she wasn’t slow at memorizing things. Gu Zhu gave her credit for that.

“Okay, I won’t tease you anymore. Close your eyes, and I’ll help you put your glasses back on.”

But the young lady’s thoughts could also be very sporadic. Just like now, she took off her glasses for no reason and was now offering to put them back on. Gu Zhu was speechless and could only close her eyes.

When her eyes were closed, her other senses became sharper. She could clearly feel the hair on both sides of her forehead being gently lifted, followed by the frame of the glasses touching her skin and slowly resting on her nose.

She opened her eyes, and before she could react, her hand was grabbed, and she was pulled forward in a hurry. “Hurry, hurry! We’re going to be late!”

Gu Zhu could only use one hand to straighten her glasses, which had slipped down from the run. Her palm was held, and they ran in the wind on the empty school path.

Bai Tan’s long ponytail bounced up and down on her waist, like a happy little horse.

Gu Zhu was a half-step behind her. On the glimmering concrete road, they ran, and their shadows ran ahead of them, stretching and folding. She gently squeezed Bai Tan’s hand back. When they passed through the dorm building entrance, they were both out of breath, and they looked at each other and smiled.

The dorm mother also smiled. She was a gentle and generous woman. “Don’t run so fast. It’s only a few minutes past curfew. I won’t write you up.”

“Thank you, Auntie. We’re going up now. Goodnight!”

“Goodbye, Auntie.”

They waved goodbye to the dorm mother and finally slowed down, walking up the stairs. On the fifth floor, two people were waiting at the door of 512. You Lili and Qin Tian’ai both looked relieved to see them back. “We almost thought you wouldn’t make it back in time. I heard the school leaders are doing a dorm check tonight, so everyone should go to bed early.”

“Okay, then we should hurry up and get ready for bed so we don’t run into them.”

“Mhm, let’s go. Goodnight, Gu Zhu.” You Lili and Qin Tian’ai said goodbye to her. Before entering the dorm, You Lili turned around. “Your new glasses look great. They suit you.” She gave her a thumbs-up.

Gu Zhu froze in place. Bai Tan rubbed her nose and giggled. “I have great taste! Bamboo, goodnight. Have sweet dreams tonight.” She said, as if afraid Gu Zhu wouldn’t want them, and slipped into her dorm. Before closing the door, she waved to her and even made a heart shape with her fingers.

The door to 512 closed. Gu Zhu took a few seconds to react, then gently touched her new glasses, and a slight smile curved her lips.

“Goodnight, everyone.”

“Goodnight, Bai Tan.”

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